MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Whether it’s fixing a leak across the 160 miles of piping, or replacing a faucet in one of the many bathrooms across base, Moody plumbers keep the base afloat.
The 23d Civil Engineer Squadron water and fuel systems maintenance shop manages plumbing, from water collection systems to liquid fuel storage, in order to keep Moody running smoothly while upholding the highest environmental standards.
“Our mission is base sustainability to allow other structures to complete their individual missions, for the big picture of getting planes in the air,” said Staff Sgt. Douglas Shaw, 23d CES WFSM craftsman. “Maintenance can't do their job if they can't go into their hangar, if there's something wrong with the fire suppression, or their building smells terrible because sewage is coming up. We need to be able to make sure that we get there and we make it a safe place to work in. Our job is to make it a safe and reasonable place for them to be able to carry out their mission.”
WFSM accomplishes their mission through the two main components of utilities for water-based issues, and liquid fuels maintenance for fuel-based issues. Shaw explained how both require many of the same skills.
“From utilities to LFM, a lot of it uses the same tools, a lot of the same connections, with the same ideas: liquid moves to the path of least resistance; water and fuel does it, and our job is to guide them all the correct way,” Shaw said. “When it comes to putting pipe together, there's a lot of different ways that we do it on the water side. There's really only one way you do it from the fuel side, and that's through welding them together because we have to have a 100 percent leak proof on fuel.”
Shaw highlighted the additional precautions that come with working with liquid fuel systems.
“There's so many more steps added when we work with fuels because you have to be extra safe when you're doing that,” Shaw said. “When we're working on a water pipe on the ceiling, we just have to make sure that our ladder is steady. If we get some water on us, it's okay because it's just water. When working with fuels, we have to make sure it doesn't get on any of us. We have a series of personal protective equipment that we wear with rubber boots and we have suits that we can put on.”
Even though WFSM makes $843,000 worth of repairs for the base annually, Shaw explained how the dorms serve as the best area to learn their job. This was made evident by the dorm management office.
“With [WFSM], they're able to help the quality of life for the dorm Airmen and the efficiency of our job,” said Staff Sgt. Stephanie Brown, 23d CES Airman dorm leader. “Without them, we would have to be taking on a lot of those issues, and it would cause a lot of backup for getting those jobs handled and fixed. We are certainly grateful to be able to have them always available and ready to help.”
Shaw said it’s the 23d CES as a whole that makes running the base possible.
“Here on base, you realize how appreciative people can be over something as small as a sink that's constantly dripping and you fix that,” Shaw said. “To be able to repair that and create that kind of environment that's better than what [Moody] had the day before, that's what gets me to come to work every day.
“The 23d CES's job is to keep the base up and running and to make sure that everybody else can accomplish their mission,” Shaw added. “It's not just with WFSM, it's the whole squadron that does it. There's always somebody ready to take up arms, and maybe even a plunger, too.”
Whether it’s fixing a leak across the 160 miles of piping, or replacing a faucet in one of the many bathrooms across base, Moody plumbers keep the base afloat.
The 23d Civil Engineer Squadron water and fuel systems maintenance shop manages plumbing, from water collection systems to liquid fuel storage, in order to keep Moody running smoothly while upholding the highest environmental standards.
“Our mission is base sustainability to allow other structures to complete their individual missions, for the big picture of getting planes in the air,” said Staff Sgt. Douglas Shaw, 23d CES WFSM craftsman. “Maintenance can't do their job if they can't go into their hangar, if there's something wrong with the fire suppression, or their building smells terrible because sewage is coming up. We need to be able to make sure that we get there and we make it a safe place to work in. Our job is to make it a safe and reasonable place for them to be able to carry out their mission.”
WFSM accomplishes their mission through the two main components of utilities for water-based issues, and liquid fuels maintenance for fuel-based issues. Shaw explained how both require many of the same skills.
“From utilities to LFM, a lot of it uses the same tools, a lot of the same connections, with the same ideas: liquid moves to the path of least resistance; water and fuel does it, and our job is to guide them all the correct way,” Shaw said. “When it comes to putting pipe together, there's a lot of different ways that we do it on the water side. There's really only one way you do it from the fuel side, and that's through welding them together because we have to have a 100 percent leak proof on fuel.”
Shaw highlighted the additional precautions that come with working with liquid fuel systems.
“There's so many more steps added when we work with fuels because you have to be extra safe when you're doing that,” Shaw said. “When we're working on a water pipe on the ceiling, we just have to make sure that our ladder is steady. If we get some water on us, it's okay because it's just water. When working with fuels, we have to make sure it doesn't get on any of us. We have a series of personal protective equipment that we wear with rubber boots and we have suits that we can put on.”
Even though WFSM makes $843,000 worth of repairs for the base annually, Shaw explained how the dorms serve as the best area to learn their job. This was made evident by the dorm management office.
“With [WFSM], they're able to help the quality of life for the dorm Airmen and the efficiency of our job,” said Staff Sgt. Stephanie Brown, 23d CES Airman dorm leader. “Without them, we would have to be taking on a lot of those issues, and it would cause a lot of backup for getting those jobs handled and fixed. We are certainly grateful to be able to have them always available and ready to help.”
Shaw said it’s the 23d CES as a whole that makes running the base possible.
“Here on base, you realize how appreciative people can be over something as small as a sink that's constantly dripping and you fix that,” Shaw said. “To be able to repair that and create that kind of environment that's better than what [Moody] had the day before, that's what gets me to come to work every day.
“The 23d CES's job is to keep the base up and running and to make sure that everybody else can accomplish their mission,” Shaw added. “It's not just with WFSM, it's the whole squadron that does it. There's always somebody ready to take up arms, and maybe even a plunger, too.”